Novel epoxide resins prepared from alpha, alpha&#39;, alpha-tris(hydroxyphenyl)-1, 3, 5-triisopropylbenzene and 1, 4-bis(p-hydroxycumyl) benzene



United States Patent N OVEL EPOXIDE RESINS PREPARED FROM oc,oc',oz"- TRIS(HYDROXYPHENYL)-1,3,5 TRIISOPROPYL- BENZENE AND 1,4 BIS(p HYDROXYCUMYL) BENZENE Oliver A. Barton, Florham Park, and Ralph M. Hetterly,

Morristown, N.J., assignors to Allied Chemical Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Filed Aug. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 480,777

6 Claims. (Cl. 26047) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This specification discloses novel terpolymeric epoxides prepared by reacting a,a,u"-tris(hydroxyphenyl)-l,3,5- triisopropylbenzene, 1,4-bis (p-hydroxycumyl)benzene and epichlorohydrin in the presence of an alkali. When cured, the epoxides of the invention have surprisingly high heat distortion temperatures.

Epoxide resins and processes for their production by the reaction of dihydric phenols and epichlorohydrin in the presence of a condensing agent such as caustic soda are well known. Such resins vary in their physical state from liquids to semi-solids to solids and are generally cured to thermoset condition by heating in the presence of chemical hardening-agents such as aromatic amines. Resins produced by such curing have a high molecular weight which renders them particularly suitable for use as coatings, adhesives, and laminates and for use as potting and encapsulating compositions. US. Patent 3,293,213 issued Dec. 20, 1966, to Barton and Schwartz, assigned to this assignee, discloses new terpolymeric resins of the above-mentioned types, which have greater hardness and resistance to chemical attack, prepared by a process which includes the interaction of 1,4-bis(p-hydroxycumyl)benzene with an epoxide resin prepared by 2,2-bis(p-hydroxy phenyl) propane and epichlorohydrin.

One property of cured epoxide resins which is extremely desirable and useful is a high heat distortion temperature with its attendant good resistance to solvents and electricity. This property is especially useful for heat resistant coatings and adhesives. High heat distortion temperatures will be realized in highly cross-linked cured resins of low molecular weight epoxides, wherein the proportion of reactive epoxide groups per gram of resin is large. This is measured as epoxide equivalent, which is defined as the weight of resin in grams that contains one gram equivalent of epoxy. When other conditions remain constant, i.e. curing agent and curing cycle, the heat distortion temperature in general increases with decreasing epoxide equivalent. This can be explained on the basis that as epoxide equivalent decreases, the proportion of reactive epoxide groups present per gram of resin through which cross-linking or curing occurs increases and correspondingly, the extent of crosslinking increases.

An advantage of low molecular weight epoxide resins is that they are liquid at room temperature and can be poured or allowed to flow into place without the need of solvents or heating. When employing highly reactive curing agents, an increase in temperature shortens the curing time so that it is diflicult to utilize the resin before it crosslinks to a solid material.

It is an object of this invention to provide new terpolymeric epoxide resins having high heat distortion temperatures when cured, and a process for producing them.

It is another object of this invention to provide new low molecular Weight terpolymeric epoxide resins, and a process for producing them.

In accordance with this invention, low molecular weight 3,379,038 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 terpolymeric epoxide resins having surprisingly high heat distortion temperatures when cured may be prepared by the reaction of u,a',a"-tris(hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene, 1,4-bis(p-hydroxycumyl)benzene and epchlorohydrin in liquid phase.

More particularly, the terpolymeric epoxide resins may be prepared by heating, at a temperature of about C. up to about reflux temperature, and preferably from about C. to about C., a reaction mixture comprising afia"-tris(hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene, 1, 4-bis(p-hydroxycumyl)benzene, and epichlorohydrin in the presence of an alkali.

The bisphenol and trisphenol are present in a molar ratio between about 2:1 and about 10:1 of trisphenol to bisphenol. In order to prepare low molecular weight epoxide resins, a large excess of epichlorohydrin for each equivalent of phenol should be employed, and accordingly in the process of this invention an excess of about 5 up to about 50 mols of epichlorohydrin for each mol of total phenol reactants is used. The alkali present in the reaction mixture is preferably an alkali metal hydroxide such as sodium, potassium, or lithium hydroxide, and is present in an amount sufiicient to neutralize the hydrochloric acid produced during the reaction, as well as to transform the chlorohydrin formed in the initial reaction of phenol and epichlorohydrin to an epoxide-containing molecule. Preferably this amount is between about 2 mols and about 4 mols of alkali per mol of total phenolic compounds.

A method of preparing the trisphenol of this invention, i.e. a,o',oz"-triS (hydroxyphenyl) -1,3, S-triisopropylbenzene, may be found described in copending US. application Ser. No. 392,291, filed Aug. 26, 1964, by Vitrone et a1. assigned to this assignee, now abandoned. The process consists of reacting a,a',a"-trihydroxy-1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene and phenol in the presence of an acidic condensation catalyst to yield the desired product. The structural formula may be represented as:

1,4 bis(p hydroxycumyl)benzene may be prepared according to the method described in copending US. application Ser. No. 140,221 by'Broderick et al., filed Sept. 25, 1961, assigned to this assignee. The process consists of reacting the dicarbinol of 1,4-diisopropylbenzene with phenol in the presence of hydrogen chloride as a catalyst. The structural formula may be represented as:

(IE3 (EH3 CH3 CH While the exact structural formulas of the terpolymeric acid with aryl or alkyl polyamides such as the reaction epoxide resins of this invention are not known they may product of linoleic acid dimer with ethylene diamine; be represented as having the following theoretical struc- (4) Friedel-Crafts metal halides.-Aluminum chloride, tural formula: Zinc chloride, ferric chloride and boron trifluoride as n representing a number ranging up to about 25. It is to well as complexes thereof with ethers, acid anhydrides, be understood, however, that the above structural forketones, diazonium salts; mula represents an idealized version, and its exact com- (5) Phosphoric acid and partial esters there0f. position may vary depending on the reaction conditions n-Butyl dihydrogen orthophosphate, and diethyl orthoof the process. For example, epichlorohydrin could react phosphate; with the remaining hydroxy groups on the trisphenol (6) Salts of inorganic acids-Zinc fiuoborate, potasmolecules as well. sium persulfate, nickel fiuoborate, copper fluo'borate,

It has been found that the presence of water has a selenium fluoborate, magnesium fiuoborate, tin fluoborate, pronounced influence upon the reaction of this invention. potassium magnesium arsenate, magnesium sulfate, cad- More specifically, it is preferred that water be present as mium arsenate, cadmium silicate, aluminum fluoborate, a reaction-initiator in amount of at least 0.3% of the ferrous sulfate, ferrous silicate, manganese hypophostotal weight of the reaction mixture. The amount of 40 phite, nickel phosphate and nickel chlorate.

Water preferably ranges from at least about 0.3% to The preferred class of curing agents is the amino comabout 5% of the total weight of the reaction mixture in pounds. A number of these amino compounds such as the preparation of low molecular weight resins. diethylenetriamine and diethylamino propylamine are The crude reaction mixture obtained contains salts, sufliciently active to effect curing at room temperature excess alkali, unreacted epichlorohydrin, and water, all and such systems can be used for adhesives and other of which should be removed. This may be accomplished uses where it is usually not practical to require preheatby dissolving the resin in a suitable aromatic solvent ing. The best curing cycle must be determined for each such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and the like, washing curing agent used. When using an amine curing agent, several times with water, and separating the aqueous and it is best to provide one active hydrogen for each epoxide organic layers. The organic solvent is then distilled off. group of the resin. Thus, when curing a resin having an The resin may be further purified by dissolving in aceepoxide equivalent of about 200 with m-phenylene ditone, cooling to room temperature, filtering off any solid amine, which has four active hydrogens and a molecular impurities, and evaporating the acetone. The final ter- Weight of 108, about 13.5 grams of the curing agent polymeric epoxide resin has an epoxide equivalent within should be used for each 100 grams of resin. The amount the range of about 200 to about 260. of curing agent may be varied somewhat, but the varia- The terpolymeric epoxide resins prepared by this intion should not be greater than about 5%. vention may be cured With conventional curing agents The epoxide resins may be modified by reacting them such as amines, organic polyacids and anhydrides, poly- With conventional epoxide modifying agents such as urea amides, Friedel-Crafts metal halides, phosphoric acid and. formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, and melamine formpartial esters thereof and salts of inorganic acids. aldehyde. Additionally, the physical properties of the Illustrative of s ecific compounds whi h may b 1 resin may be changed by dissolving therein a solid epoxide cessfully emloyed as curing agents are as follows: resin of higher EPOXide equivalent- (1) Amines.-Diethylene triamine, diethylamino pro- This invention will be described further in conjunction pylamine, ethylene diamine, triethylene tetramine, di- With the following spficific examples, Which are not rnethylarnino pr-opylamine, m-phenylene diamine, triethyltended to limit the scope of this invention but are intended amine and benzyldimethylamine; for purposes of illustration.

(2) Organic poly acids and anhydrides-0xalic acid,

phthalic acid, phthalic anhydride, succinic anhydride, Example 1 adipic acid, Citric acid, L3-benlene disulfom'c acid, To a reaction flask fitted with a stirrer, condenser, leis anhydridfi, hexahydrophthalic anhydride, py thermometer, and means of heating, was added 0.05 mol litic dianhydride, dodecenyl succinic anhydride, tetraof 1,4-bi (p-hydroxycumyDbenzene, 0.45 mol of ego/ Chlorophthalic anhydride and Chlorendic anhydfide; tris(hydroxyphenyl)l,3,5-triisopropylbenzene, 5.0 mols (3) Amines having reactive amino groups-Dicyandiof epichlorohydrin, and 0.38 mol of water. The temperaamide, polyamide resins prepared by the reaction of a ture was raised to reflux while stirring continuously. 1.6

dimerized or trimerized vegetable oil, unsaturated fatty mols of sodium hydroxide pellets were added slowly so as to maintain reflux, but to avoid excessive heat. The No. 392,291 (above), said resin having an epoxide equivamixture was stirred at reflux for an additional two hours lent of 258, and an epoxide resin prepared from the reacand cooled to room temperature. The mixture was filtered tion of 1,4-bis (p-hydroxycumyl)benzene with an excess through a coarse glass filter with a fit-inch mat of Hyflo of epichlorohydrin, said resin having an epoxide equiva- Super Cel, a silica compound sold by Johns-Manville Co., 5 lent of 286. and useful as a filtering aid, to remove most of the salt. In preparing the cured samples, the epoxide resins The remaining solvents were distilled off at 1 mm. prcswere first admixed with m-phenylene diamine at a temsure and 145 C. perature of about 80 C. using about 12 grams of curing The resin was further purified by dissolving in twice agent per 100 grams of resin. The resin was then poured its volume of acetone, cooled to about 0 C. and filtered into molds and heated at 150 C. for six hours. The as above. The acetone was removed by vacuum distilla- P y Properties of the resins are given in the table tion at 1 mm. pressure and 145 C. The resultant resin below, wherein (P- Y Y Y is abbrehad an epoxide equivalent of 243. U

trllsopropylbenzene is abbreviated as Trls. It will be Example 2 noted that the cured products of Examples 1 to 3 prepared in accordance with the invention possess markedly The procedure of Example 1 was repeated using 0.1 mol superior heat distortion properties as compared with the of 1,4-bis(p-hydroxycumyDbenzene and 0.4 mol of wax, cured products of Examples 4 and 5 in which the propora"-tris(hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,S-triisopropylbenzene. The retions of phenols used are outside the scope of the invensultant resin had an epoxide equivalent of 246. tion.

TABLE I ASTh I Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 Ex. 4 Ex. 5 Properties Test OP Tris No. TriszDCP TriszDCP TriszDOP TriszDCP TriszDCP Epoxide Epoxide Epoxide Equivalent 243 246 243 291 296 286 258 Color t 1 Ultimate Tensile Strength, p. 038 9, 080 8,120 10, 520 7,800 8,060 6, 957 8,741 Ultimate Elongation, percent 638 7.7 5.2 10.5 4.3 4.6 6.1 3.9 Compressive Strength, .s.i. D695 19, 350 19,200 18, 600 18, 900 18, 446 19,000 Izod Impact, ft. lbs. per in. notch 256 .31 .2 .37 .21 0.2 46 37 Rockwell Hardness (M) D785 126 125 125 125 122 107 112 Heat Distortion Temp, 0 D648 161 161 167. 5 133 122 131 145 Amber. 2 Lt. amber.

Example 3 We claim:

1. A curable terpolymeric epoxide resin produced by a process which comprises heating at a' temperature of at least 75 C. a reaction mixture comprising 1,4-bis(p- 40 hydroxycumyl)benzene, from about 2 to about 10 mols of a,a',a"-tris(hydroxyphenyl)-l,3,5-triisopropylbenzene for each mol of 1,4-bis(p-hydroxycumyl)benzene present and from about 5 to about 50 mols of epichlorohydrin for each mol of phenolic reactant present, in the presence Example 4 of an alkali and recovering the resultant epoxide.

To a flask as in Example 1 was added ()2 mol of 4- 2. An epoxide resin according to claim 1 wherein from .bis(p hydroxycumyl)benzene, 02 mol of about 2 to about 4 mols of an alkall metal hydroxlde droxyphenyl)-l,3,S-triisopropylbenzene, 4.0 mols of 1S Present forteaeh P of Ph reeetehtepicholorhydrin and 0.27 mol of water. The mixture was ePOXIde Teslh accord-mg t0 elalm 1 whel'eln the stirred While mating to fl L2 mols f Sodium heating is conducted 1n the presence of at least about 0.3 droxide were added slowly and heating at reflux was con- Percent P to about 5 Percent y Welght of Water based tinued for two hours. The procedure of Example 1 was on the total Weight of reactantsused to purify the resin, which had an epoxide equivalent PP teeth according to Claim 1 wherein the reaction mlxture 1S heated at a temperature from about To a flask as in Example 1 was added 0.15 mol of l,4-bis(p-hydroxycurnyl)benzene, 0.35 mol of u,ot',a"-tris- (hydroxyphenyl)-1,3,5-triisopropy1benzene, 5.0 mols of epichlorohydrin and 0.37 mol of water, and the mixture stirred while heating to reflux. The terpolymeric epoxide was prepared as in Example 1. The resultant resin had an epoxide, equivalent of 243.

of 291- Example 5 90 C. up to its reflux temperature.

5. A cured terpolymeric epoxide resin having a high To a flask, as in Example Was added 11101 of heat distortion temperature produced by curing the resin i s y yP Y 1,3,5 tfiisopropylbehof claim 1 with a epoxide curing agent. Zehe, H101 1, i (py y yn H1015 6. A cured terpolymeric epoxide resin having a high of epieholorhydfhl and 035 11101 of Water, and the IniX- heat distortion temperature produced by curing the resin ture stirred while heating to reflux. The terpolymeric f d i 1 i h a polyamine curing agent epoxide was prepared as in Example 1. The resultant resin had an epoxide equivalent of 296. References Cited Example 6 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,301,818 1/1967 Barton et al. 26047 Cured samples of the epoxlde resins of Examples 1 5 3,309,339 3/1967 Barton et all 26O 47 were compared with cured samples of an epoxide resin prepared from the reaction of u,a,a"-tris(hydroxyphenl yl)-l,3,5triisopropylbenzene with an excess of epichloro- WILLIAM SHORT Pnma'y Examiner hydrin according to the method described in U.S. Ser. T. D. KERWIN, Assistant Examiner. 

